Kroger (NYSE:KR) Shares Acquired Sen. John Boozman

Senator John Boozman (Republican-Arkansas) recently bought shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR). In a filing disclosed on March 06th, the Senator disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Kroger stock on February 26th.

Senator John Boozman also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) on 2/27/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of NetApp (NASDAQ:NTAP) on 2/27/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) on 2/26/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) on 2/19/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) on 2/13/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) on 2/13/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:IEF) on 2/6/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (NASDAQ:EMB) on 2/6/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) on 2/6/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of iShares CMBS ETF (NYSEARCA:CMBS) on 2/6/2026.

Kroger Trading Up 3.8%

Kroger stock opened at $74.31 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 12 month low of $58.60 and a 12 month high of $74.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The stock has a market cap of $47.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.62. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $65.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.89.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $34.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.10 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 41.08% and a net margin of 0.69%.Kroger’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. Kroger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Kroger’s payout ratio is currently 129.63%.

Key Stories Impacting Kroger

Here are the key news stories impacting Kroger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat on profit and margins: Kroger reported adjusted EPS above estimates, delivered gross‑margin expansion and 20% e‑commerce growth; management also rolled out FY‑26 adjusted EPS guidance above consensus and approved further buybacks — a clear catalyst for earnings per‑share growth. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Large, sustained capital returns: Management completed accelerated repurchases in 2025 and the board approved an additional $2B repurchase authorization on top of a $7.5B program; analysts and commentators say buybacks plus a growing dividend underpin long‑term per‑share upside. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and upgrades: Several shops have reiterated/raised ratings and price targets (e.g., Roth MKM reaffirmed buy with a $78 PT; Telsey lifted its target), reinforcing positive sentiment into the print. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow: Call buying spiked (large single‑day activity), suggesting some traders are positioning for additional upside or event‑driven moves.
• Neutral Sentiment: New CEO’s playbook: Greg Foran is pushing lower prices, sharper promotions, AI and e‑commerce improvements to accelerate sales — a credible strategic pivot but execution and timing remain uncertain. FoodBusinessNews
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is broadly constructive (moderate buy), but median price targets leave limited near‑term upside absent stronger top‑line revisions. AmericanBankingNews
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and sales outlook are muted: Q4 revenue slightly missed estimates and management offered modest identical‑sales guidance for 2026 (1–2% ex‑fuel), tempering a rally based solely on EPS strength. Retail Insight Network
• Negative Sentiment: Product recalls: Kroger‑branded and partner rice/frozen products were included in a glass‑fragment recall, creating short‑term inventory, sales and reputational headwinds in affected markets. MSN
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and legal exposure: Class‑action suits over e‑commerce worker classification and heightened union friction (Teamsters commentary) add regulatory/legal risk and potential costs. GroceryDive
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability question: Commentary flagged a high payout ratio on a GAAP basis (dividend > GAAP net income), which could worry income investors despite strong cash flow and buybacks. 24/7 Wall St.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kroger

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its holdings in Kroger by 102.5% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 168,395 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,079,000 after purchasing an additional 85,223 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kroger by 43.4% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,870,000 after buying an additional 21,876 shares in the last quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Kroger by 85.0% during the 3rd quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 857,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,828,000 after buying an additional 394,060 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd boosted its stake in Kroger by 401.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 19,470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,293,000 after buying an additional 15,586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its position in Kroger by 64.7% in the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 45,267 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,051,000 after acquiring an additional 17,777 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Kroger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Kroger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $70.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Kroger from $73.00 to $71.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 target price (up from $75.00) on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $68.00 target price (down from $74.00) on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.38.

About Senator Boozman

John Boozman (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Arkansas. He assumed office on January 3, 2011. His current term ends on January 3, 2029. Boozman (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Arkansas. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022. Boozman won re-election in 2016. He faced Democrat Conner Eldridge, Libertarian Frank Gilbert, and write-in candidate Jason Tate in the general election. Arkansas’ U.S. Senate race was rated as safely Republican in 2016. Boozman began his political career in the U.S. House. He won a special election in 2001 and served in that position until his election to the Senate in 2010. Prior to his political career, Boozman worked as an optometrist. As of a 2014 analysis of multiple outside rankings, Boozman is an average Republican member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Republican Party on the majority of bills. Below is an abbreviated outline of Boozman’s academic, professional, and political career: 2011-Present: U.S. Senator from Arkansas 2001-2011: U.S. Representative from Arkansas 1977: Graduated from Southern College of Optometry

About Kroger

The Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) is one of the largest supermarket operators in the United States, offering a wide range of retail grocery and related services. Founded in Cincinnati in 1883 by Bernard Kroger, the company operates a portfolio of supermarket and multi-department store banners and provides customers with fresh foods, packaged groceries, deli and bakery items, meat and seafood, produce, and prepared foods. Kroger’s stores commonly include pharmacy services and fuel centers, positioning the company as a broad-based neighborhood retail destination for everyday needs.

In addition to traditional in-store retailing, Kroger manufactures and distributes a variety of private-label brands and operates its own food production and supply-chain facilities.